Tube coupling



April 7, 194 A. L. PARKE R 2,278,479

TUBE COUPLING 1 Filed Dec. 9, 1939- amen M Avfh 11.1 L. Parker Patented Apr. 7, 1942 v UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE TUBE'COUPLING Arthur L. Parker, Cleveland, Ohio Application December 9, 1939, Serial No. 308,467

1 Claim. ((1285-16) The present invention relates to new and useand the several views illustrated in the accomful improvements in tube couplings, and more panying drawing.

particularly to improvements in couplings for In the drawing:

clamping the flared ends of metal tubes such as Figure 1 is a side elevation illustrating the are typified in U. S. Letters Patent to Arthur L. improved coupling.

Parker, 1,893,442 of January 3, 1933, and it pri- Figure 2 is a central longitudinal section, marily seeks to provide a novel coupling structhrough the coupling illustrated in Figure 1. ture in which the tube is flrmly'clamped between Figure 3 is a detail perspective view illustratclamping surfaces of insulating material efiecing the seat piece and the tube protecting and tive to prevent the conducting of electrical clamping sleeve in separated relation, parts becharges through the coupling. s broken w y a d in section.

In tube couplings of the type referred to, the Figure 4 is a view similar to Figure 2 illusflared ends of the tubes are clamped between trating a sli h y ified form of the invenconiform surfaces formed on threadably contion, p ts be g Shown in elevation.

nected male and female coupling members. The The imp coupling o s s s of a male female member usually is formed in two parts, member or body piece 5 nc ud n a non-circuone a threaded and shouldered nut, and the other l p r n n externally threaded mounting a protective sleeve which surrounds the tube-and portlon 1, and an externally threaded nut-reincludes one of the coniform clamping surfaces ceivmg D r l n 8- Th m m e 5 is cen y and a shoulder which is engaged by the nut bored in the usual manner and is q pp a shoulder to be moved thereby during the tube its upp r nd with a counterbore 9 which is clamping operation. The interengaging tube and preferably s y fl d.

coupling member parts usually are formed of A clempmg Seat piece I0 is force-fitted r metal, and when attempts are made n use these otherw1se secured in the counterbore 9 and excouplings in conjuncti n t electrical tends a distance from the upper end of the male' ratus, say for example in conjunction with are membel: Th Seat Piece includes a center welding machines having hydraulically operated bore axially aligned with the bore of the memchucks, electrical charges may at times be conbet 5 and has it$ upper u fa-ce shaped ducted through the coupling members to the to form comfqrm 1' Seating Piece tubing or vice versa. Obviously such conducting 301s formed of msulatmg l preferably of electrical charges is objectionable, and it is harfl fiber capable provldmg a Smooth hard the purpose of the present invention to provide comform male cuplmg seat l a novel form of tube coupling in which this Thle flared end [2 of the tube I3 which 15 to be jectionable conducting of electrical charges is coup ed 18 adapted. to be securely clamped lmposslble e lifiist the seat II in the manner wellknown In its more detailed nature the invention seeks fi a1 e co b to provide a tube coupling of the nature stated p mg mem er 18 formed of two u elements in the usual manner, and includes a in which t e couplmg male member mcmdes an coupling nut sleeve and a tube protecting and insert of insulating material on which the male 40 clamping sleeve. The nut Slee comform e a pl Seat 15 f and winch nally threaded as at IE to thread flily en g ag e t l' ie the tube proteetlng and clampmg sleeve 15 formed portion 8 of the male member 5 and includes an of insulating material and includes the female inwardly directed clamping shoulder The coniform clamping seat. I protective sleeve I1 is formed of insulating Anot object of the i vention 1s to hrowde a material, preferably the same hard fiber matetube coupling of the character stated in which rial of which the seating piece I is formed the sleeve includes a skirt portion which extends and includes a flared clamping surface I8 for beyond the flaredseat and which is effective to opposing the flared end 12 of the tube I3 and a prevent spreading of the flared end of the shoulder portion l9 which is engaged by the clamped tube into contact with metallic cousleeve nut shoulder l6. pling parts. It will be noted also that the sleeve I! in- With the above and other objects in view that cludes a cylindrical skirt extension 20 which exwill hereinafter appear, the nature of the inventends beyond the flared clamping surface l8. tion will be more fully understood by following When the coupling parts are assembled in the the detailed description, the appended claim; 5 manner illustrated in Figures 1 and 2, the nut sleeve l4 forces the sleeve l1 longitudinally toward the seating piece In, and the flared end I! of the tube I3 i securely clamped between the flared surface I8 of the sleeve I1 and the tapered surface ll of the seating piece I0. By forming the tube l and the seating piece III of hard fiber, the tube I3 is insulated from the metallic coupling elements 5 and I4 and yet nothing in the way of firmness of coupling i sacrificed in thus forming the electricity non-conducting coupling.

In order to definitely assure against spreading of the flared end of the tube l2 into metal to metal contact with coupling parts, the sleeve skirt 20 surrounds and depends below the flared end of the tube and telescopes a portion of the seatin piece l0 so that it is impossible to force the tube end into metal to metal contact with either of the coupling elements I4 and 5. See Figures 2 and 3.

In Figure 4 of the drawing, there is illustrated a slightly modified form of the invention in which the tube I3a, the sleeve Ila, and the seatlng piece Illa are formed in the same manner as illustrated in Figures 2 and 3, but the male member So has the non-circular body portion 6a extended as at 2| and internally threaded to receive the externally threaded nut sleeve 22 which includes an inwardly extended shoulder 23 for engaging the shoulder I9a of the tube protecting and clamping sleeve I'la.

It is of course to be understood that the details of structure and arrangement of parts may be variously changed and modified without depart- I ing from the spirit and scope of my invention.

I claim:

In a coupling for tubes having the ends thereof flared, metallic coupling members having threaded engagement with each other, one of said coupling member having a coniform male seat associated therewith formed of a hard electricity non-conducting material and adapted to engage the inner face of the flared end of a tube, the other of said coupling members having a clamping shoulder. a sleeve formed of a hard electricity non-conducting material surrounding said tube within and extending endwise beyond the clamping shoulder provided coupling member and having a solid head provided with a shoulder against which said clamping shoulder engages and a coniform flare adapted to engage the outer face of the flared end of said tube and a cylindriform skirt surrounding and extending beyond the flared end of said tube, whereby when the coupling members are threaded together with the tube and sleeve between them the tube will be firmly and rigidly clamped and insulated from electricity conducting contact relation with any ARTHUR L. PARKER. 

